XPost: news.announce.newgroups, rec.photo.equipment.35mm, rec.photo.digital 
 From: black_boxer_briefs@yahoo.com 
  
                      REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION (RFD) 
                unmoderated group rec.photo.digital.slr 
  
 This is a formal Request For Discussion (RFD) for the creation of a 
 worldwide unmoderated Usenet newsgroup rec.photo.digital.slr. This is 
 not a Call for Votes (CFV); you cannot vote at this time. Procedural 
 details are below. All followup discussion should be posted to 
 news.groups. 
  
 Newsgroup line: 
 rec.photo.digital.slr Digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera systems. 
  
 CHANGES from the previous RFD have been made to the syntax and wording 
 of previously unclear elements in this proposal. 
  
 RATIONALE: rec.photo.digital.slr 
  
 The proposed newsgroup should be created because it will provide an open 
 forum for the discussion of digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera 
 systems, separate from film cameras and non-SLR digital cameras. 
  
 Digital SLR photography is growing at an amazing rate. It is generally 
 more technically oriented than compact digital photography. It is time 
 to create a Big-8 newsgroup for digital SLR enthusiasts. 
  
 Rec.photo.digital was created before the digital photography revolution 
 peaked. At that time, digital SLR camera systems were not easily 
 obtainable by the average person, due to high cost and limited 
 availability. Due to advances in the past year alone by some of the 
 major camera manufacturers, a person can find digital SLR camera 
 equipment for sale at almost every shopping mall, strip mall, or 
 electronics store on earth, at very reasonable prices. RPD was created 
 to discuss all general aspects of digital photography - including 
 cameras, scanners, printers, software, and other related topics. If 
 passed, rec.photo.digital.slr will limit its scope of inclusion to DSLR 
 (digital SLR) systems and DSLR photography. The majority of digital 
 camera owners use compact or "point and shoot" digital cameras, and RPD 
 is an excellent newsgroup for discussion of these cameras. 
  
 Many of the current crop of DSLR camera systems share lenses and 
 accessories with their 35mm film counterparts made by the same 
 manufacturers. This has generated a substantial volume of crossposted 
 threads between rec.photo.equipment.35mm and RPD. Digital cameras are 
 off-topic in RPE35mm, and film cameras are off-topic in RPD. These 
 crossposted threads are off-topic in both newsgroups, and they eat up a 
 considerable amount of bandwidth. With the creation of 
 rec.photo.digital.slr, these crossposted threads would be substantially 
 reduced. The 35mm crowd can get back to pure 35mm equipment/photography 
 discussion, and RPD can be free of film talk. 
  
 CHARTER: rec.photo.digital.slr 
  
 This newsgroup, rec.photo.digital.slr, is an open forum for the 
 discussion of digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera systems. 
  
 These systems consist of: 
  
 -Digital SLR (DSLR) camera bodies with mounts for detachable lenses 
 -Lenses for those cameras 
 -Any relevant accessories for those camera systems, including but not 
 limited to: external flash units, memory cards, microdrives, lens 
 filters/hoods, camera bags/cases, DSLR camera/lens/accessory 
 maintenance, tripods and monopods. 
  
 All postings made to this group should conform to existing Usenet 
 guidelines (see news.announce.newusers for guideline documents). 
  
 Additional On-Topic Discussion: 
  
 -Photography techniques, as long as the discussion remains within the 
 context of DSLR photography 
 -Image post-processing, as long as the discussion remains within the 
 context of DSLR photography 
 -Posting links to personal photo galleries or images, as long as the 
 discussion remains within the context of DSLR photography 
 -Discussion of hybrid film-digital cameras and digital backs 
  
 Digital rangefinder camera systems are technically not SLR systems, but 
 they are on-topic if they offer lens interchangeability. Inclusion of 
 digital rangefinders with mounts for detachable lenses is provisional; 
 should a separate Big-8 newsgroup for digital rangefinders ever come 
 into existence, these camera systems will become off-topic in 
 rec.photo.digital.slr upon passage of the new group. 
  
 What Is Considered Off-Topic: 
  
 -Discussion of pure film cameras 
 -Discussion of "point and shoot" or any other non-SLR digital cameras 
 (digital rangefinders with mounts for detachable lenses are the only 
 provisional exception) 
 -Discussion of any cameras with non-detachable lenses 
 -Discussion of scanners 
 -Discussion of printers 
 -Posting links to personal photo galleries or images, not in the context 
 of DSLR photography 
  
 Posting off-topic should be kept to a minimum. All off-topic posts 
 should be prefixed with [OT] or another easily-identifiable prefix in 
 the subject line. If a segment of any on-topic thread ever becomes 
 clearly off-topic, it is the duty of those individuals posting to change 
 the subject line to reflect the off-topic change. 
  
 Debating the pros and cons of digital photography vs. film photography 
 is off-topic. Please be polite and try to not steer any conversations in 
 that direction. In the event that any segment of any on-topic thread 
 ever becomes clearly off-topic by debating the pros and cons of digital 
 photography vs. film photography, it is the duty of those individuals 
 posting to change the subject line to reflect the off-topic change. 
  
 What Is Considered Inappropriate: 
  
 - Crossposting to any other newsgroup except where the post is of direct 
 relevance to each group in the crosspost 
  
 What Is Not Permitted: 
  
 -Posts from mail2news gateways and/or anonymous remailers 
 -Flame wars (comparisons between different digital SLR brands or systems 
 are permitted as long as they do not degenerate into personal flames) 
 -Signatures with more than 4 lines 
 -Exchange and/or discussion of illegal software 
 -Personal attacks 
 -Binary postings (i.e. non text postings) other than PGP and small 
 binary signatures 
 -Commercial advertisements: 
  
 This newsgroup explicitly prohibits the posting of advertisements of any 
 kind, whether personal, private or commercial, as well as all other 
 promotional material, whether or not it is in any way related to 
 photography. 
  
 Auction announcements (Ebay.com and others) are prohibited. 
  
 Posting links to commercial websites with the sole intention of 
 promoting those sites is not permitted; links to commercial websites may 
 be posted in the context of answering a specific question. 
  
 When posting on rec.photo.digital.slr, please use standard Usenet 
 netiquette. Treat other posters with courtesy and follow standard 
 conventions when replying to posts. Please trim the posts you reply to, 
 retaining only the significant portions in your follow up. Preserve 
 attributions (the bits that specify who wrote what in each post) and 
 limit your signature to 4 lines or less. To ensure readability, do not 
 use HTML in your posts and limit your line lengths to the Usenet 
 standard of 80 characters. 
  
 END CHARTER. 
  
 PROCEDURE: 
  
 This is a request for discussion, not a call for votes.  In this phase 
  
 [continued in next message] 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)